Injured Baumgartner to join Austria squad at World Cup

Christoph Baumgartner will join the Austrian national team later on Wednesday at the World although he misses the tournament for injury reasons.

Baumgartner’s German club RB Leipzig said that he will continue his rehabilitation from a thigh muscle injury which required surgery at the team’s camp in Santa Barbara, California.

Midfielder Baumgartner sustained the injury in his right leg in the warm-up for a recent World Cup tune-up match against Tunisia, ruling him out of the June 11-July 19 tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Leipzig said that Baumgartner still wanted to be with the national and granted his request to continue his recovery there. He will be looked after by Austrian team doctors in close cooperation with Leipzig’s medical department.

Austria start the World Cup on Tuesday against debutants Jordan and also play defending champions Argentina and Algeria in the group stage.